Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, social activist, and leader for the Underground Railroad. She lead many enslaved people through networks of antislavery activists and safe houses on the Underground Railroad.

Tubman was born into slavery in the state of Maryland. Her date of birth is debated, but it is thought to be 1822, according to historic records. She documented her date of birth as 1825.

During the American Civil War, Tubman served as a scout and spy for the Union Army. Following the abolition of slavery, she became involved with the woman’s suffrage movement. In the 1870s, she began working with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, located in Auburn, New York. There she co-founded the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, whose goal was to care of senior people of color who were impoverished.

She passed away March 10, 1913 of pneumonia. After her death, she was buried with semi-military honors and interred at the Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.